Ear protector



March 2, 195 4 J; CANTOR EAR-PROTECTOR Filed Sept. 11, 1950 J/QC'OB d. CfiA/TUE, INVENTOR.

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Patented Mar. 2, 1954 UNITED s'mss rATENr OFFICE EAR PROTECTOR Jacob J. Cantor, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application September 11, 1950, Serial No. 184,319

This invention relates to improvements in ear protectors.

In many industries it is necessary to protect the ears of mechanics or workmen from the results of loud noises.

Heretofore many types of ear stoppers have been designed to be placed in the ear canal in order to retard sound vibrations and prevent their reaching the ear drum. Many of such ear stoppers proceed on the theory that by interposing relatively heavy masses in the ear canal outwardly of the ear drum that the sound vibrations transmitted thereto will be incapable of accelerating these heavy masses sufficiently and the heavy masses will thus impede the transmission of the sound to the ear drum.

I have found that a highly superior ear protector can be provided by forming the ear stopper in the form of a thin flexible envelope that can be at least partially inserted into the ear canal and which contains a finely divided material characterized by the fact that the particles of such material have a low coefiicient of friction when caused to slide on each other. In this manner, sound vibrations carried to the outer end of this mass offlnely divided material will vibrate or move outer particles, but as these particles can slip or slide easily relative to inner particles confined within the envelope the vibrations are not transmitted through the mass in the envelope and. consequently the ear drum will be highly protected.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ear protector consisting of a resilient headband on which such ear stoppers can be mounted for universal movement within reasonable limits so that the stoppers may readily accommodate themselves or adjust themselves relatively to the headband and to the ear canal of the user.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an ear protector having the above-mentioned characteristics wherein the headband will continually press the ear stoppers inwardly with respect to the ear canal so as to cause the air entrapped in the canal to artificially depress or deform the ear drum while the protector is being worn. I find that when the ear drum of the user is thus depressed or deformed a substantial degree of protection is obtained from this factor alone.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawing for an illustrative embodiment of the invention wherein:

6 Claims. (01. 128-452) Figure 1 is a perspective view of the ear protector embodying the present invention illustrating in dotted lines the manner in which it may be worn;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially upon the line 2-2 upon Fig. 1; and

, Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially upon the line 3-3 upon Fig. 2.

Referring to the accompanying drawing wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the improved protector consists of a headband I0 preferably formed of resilient metal, such as spring steel. This band may be suitably covered with a covering indicated at H. At its ends the band is bent as indicated at IE to provide for the attachment of U-shaped stirrups l3. In each stirrup there is vertically slidable an ear stopper generally indicated at M, the stopper being slidable between the end of the headband and the bottom of the stirrup and also by reason of its loose fit between the sides of the stirrup each stopper is capable of a limited universal movement relative to the headband. In this manner, the ear stoppers can be adjusted so that they may accommodate themselves relatively to the headband and properly fit into the outer end of the ear canal.

Each stopper consists of a rubber body [5 having a frusto-conical flange l6 that is somewhat.

broader than the distance between the sides of the stirrup l3. Preferably this flange is out- Wardly tapered so that as the headband presses the sides of the stirrup inwardly against the flange th flange may adjust itself slightly with relation to the stirrup.

On the inner face of the frusto-conical flange Hi there is formed a thin, flexible rubber envelope ll that is tapered and partially filled or almost completely filled with a finely divided solid material l8. The material which I employ should be characterized by the fact that the particles thereof will slide relatively easily upon each other. Quite suitable for this purpose is finely divided flake graphite, the flakes of which slide freely one upon the other with a minimum amount of friction. Other materials may be employed possessing similar characteristics wherein the particles of the material may readily slide or slip with respect to each other.

On the outer end of the rubber body there is secured a washer or flange l9 which likewise is of greater width than the distance between the sides of the tirrup I3. This washer serves to retain the stopper on the stirrup when the headband is removed.

In the use of the device, the ear stoppers are inserted into the outer ends of the ear canals. The flexible envelope H is preferably coated with a lubricant such as petroleum jelly although this is not essential. When the stoppers are inserted due to the flexibility of the envelope, the stoppers conform themselves to the shape of the ear canal. The headband [0, due to its resiliency, presses the stoppers inwardly and continues to apply this pressure causing the air that is entrapped in the ear canal to depress or deform the ear drum. Sound vibrations transmitted to the body 15 and adjacent structure will be largely transmitted thereby to the pow dered or finely divided material confined inthe envelope. Those particles which are most adjacent the frusto-conical flange 16 will be vibrated or moved thereby but as these particles slip or slide freely with relation to adjacent particles their movements are not transmitted to the adjacent particles very readily. Consequently; those particles which are at the inner end of the envelope'will be vibrated to little or no extent with the result that sound vibrations are not transmitted either to the walls of the ear canal or to the air between the inner end 01 the envelope'and the ear drum, In this manner the ear drum is effectively protected.

Various changes maybe made in the details of construction without departingirom thespirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An ear protector comprising a hollow flexible envelope adapted to be at least partially in serted in a human ear, said envelope containing a finely divided graphite.

2. An elongated ear protector comprising a hollow flexible envelope, said envelope being tapered with the smaller end adapted to be partially inserted into the auditory canal resulting in a greater than atmospheric pressure being exerted therein, and a comminuted flake material disposed within said envelope and adapted to freely slide relative to each other;

3'. An elongated ear protector comprising a hollow, flexible envelope, said envelope being tapered with the smaller end adapted to be partially inserted into the auditory canal resulting in a greater than atmospheric pressure being exerted therein, the larger end of the envelope having integral therewith a frusto-conical flange of flexible material, and a comminuted flake material disposed within said envelope and adapted to freely slide relative to each other.

4. An elongated ear protector comprising a hollow, flexible envelope, said envelope being tapered with the smaller end adapted to be partially inserted into the auditory canal resulting in a greater than atmospheric pressure being exerted therein, and a comminuted material disposed within said envelope.

5'. An ear protector comprising a hollow flexible" envelope adapted to be at least partially inserted in a human ear, and a comminuted flake material disposed within said envelope that is adapted to freely slide relative to each other.

6. An elongated ear protector comprising a hollow flexible envelope adapted to be at least partiallyinserted intothe auditory canal resulting in a greater than atmospheric pressure being exerted therein, said envelope being imperforate and tapered, and a comminuted flake material disposed within said envelope that is adapted to freely slide relative to each other. 7

JACOB J. CANTOR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS Number Name Date 997,673 Hegge 1 July 11 1911 1,167,368 Adams Ra'ndall -Jan. 4,1916 1,622,469 Scott Mar. 29, 1927 2,039,008 K1ief0th Apr. 28, 1936- 2,159,487 Nies May 23, 1939 2,193,401 Foster Mar. 12, 1940 2,441,866 Cantor May 18, 1948 2,446,707 Leight Aug. 10, 1948- FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 456,20? Germany Aug. 4,1928 

